Cambridge police believe that seven bottles of medicine used to euthanise animals were stolen from a van stationed outside the University’s Department of Veterinary Medicine on Wednesday night.

The van was parked on Madingley Road, and the theft is estimated to have taken place at some point between 5pm on Wednesday evening and 10am on Thursday morning.

They have suggested that the thieves may have believed they were stealing drugs including ketamine, which is intended for use as a dissociative anaesthetic, and is currently considered a class B drug in the UK.

The police warned against use of the stolen drugs, and said: “the medication they have taken is extremely dangerous if taken and would pose a threat to life to any individual who were to consume it.”